[MusicTlk] Braille Music Goodies from Sound Without Sight

[Ella Yu]

Hey everyone,

Within the last few days, the group Sound Without Sight has released some
lovely new content related to braille music. They have also just announced
an online braille music related event happening later this month.

1. Panel discussion: approaches to learning music with a visual impairment
<https://soundwithoutsight.org/panel-discussion-approaches-to-learning-music-with-a-visual-impairment/>
Description (copied from YouTube video description box): "In this episode,
we host a panel discussion, curated by Zenny Jabeera, exploring  the
different approaches that blind musicians might take to learning music and
communicating musical ideas.
We welcome three very special guests onto the panel:
• Kevin Satizabal, a composer and music journalist, currently working for
the BBC;
• Andre Louis, a jazz composer and music technology accessibility
consultant;
• and Clare Gailans, a braille music teacher and transcriber, and advocate
for accessible formats for music notation.
The panel compare and contrast their approaches, such as using braille
music notation, learning by ear, and using notation software to explore
digital scores."

2. Demo: braille music translation using Sao Mai Braille (SMB)
<https://soundwithoutsight.org/demo-braille-music-translation-using-sao-mai-braille-smb/>
Description: Led by James Bowden, this demo goes over the essentials of
using the multi-purpose braille translator and MusicXML-to-braille tool Sao
Mai Braille (SMB) to produce braille music. The demo is done using a screen
reader and keyboard shortcuts, but sighted users can of course navigate SMB
with a mouse and without using a screen reader.

3. Upcoming event: Joining the dots: braille music in the 21st Century
Date/time: Wednesday December 18 at 7 pm UK/GMT, 11:00 am PT, 2 pm ET
Info and registration here
<https://soundwithoutsight.org/news/december-meet-up-joining-the-dots-braille-music-in-the-21st-century/>
Description (copied from Sound Without Sight):
"As the third and final part of our mini series on braille music, we are
excited to announce our next Monthly Meet-up, featuring a presentation and
Q&A with James Risdon! As part of the celebration of 200 years of braille,
James will take a holistic look at how braille music fits into the
practices of a modern-day classical musician.
Of course, everyone is welcome, but we believe this session would be of
particular interest to blind musicians, and music educators supporting
blind music students. The Meet-up will take place on Zoom – register below!
The session will cover a range of topics, including:
• Sources of braille music and how to access them, including libraries,
collections around the world, and helpful email lists.
• Ways of getting music transcribed, including using transcription
services, dictation, or a support worker.
• How James uses automated transcription tools himself.
• Tips for making braille music files as useful as possible.
• How and when James uses braille as a tool alongside audio and other
approaches to learn music."

I hope these resources are useful to you guys, and feel free to share
widely with those in your network who will benefit.